Various efforts have been made to devise a system that provides useful information to a traveler. For example, many airlines distribute software applications (also referred to as “apps”) that run on a mobile phone or a tablet computer. These apps provide flight status information and gate information for the traveler. Other third party apps (such as Google Maps) provide navigation for a traveler driving from his or her home to the airport. However, the amount of information these apps provide can be rather limited. For example, the airline app may simply inform the traveler of the status of the flight (e.g., delayed by 25 minutes, canceled, on time, etc.) and the gate number. The Google Maps app may not work particularly well inside the airport building. Hence, the traveler's experience getting to a flight can often be unpredictable and stressful. Furthermore, in most cases, the traveler does not know how long it will take to walk to his or her gate of departure, or what stores and/or amenities will be nearby when he or she gets there. Consequently, to avoid missing a flight, the traveler may get to the gate very early only to find no desirable amenities nearby. These and other drawbacks exist in existing apps and systems.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have a system and method that enhanced the traveler's experience by providing useful, timely information about the timing and location of available services, vendors and other amenities, and location and timing information relative to the traveler's departure gate.